


Duty and Fate

by Shevron



Category: Halloweek - Fandom, Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Gen, Halloweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:09:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24495496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shevron/pseuds/Shevron
Summary: Fel Doras is a panthress who is on a mission...Ready to fulfil her fate.





	1. End of a contract and a new journey

**Author's Note:**

> Hallo,
> 
> this is the backstory of my character Fel Doras, which was created for the Halloweekuniverse of the awesome artists  
> [Ziegelzeig](https://www.furaffinity.net/user/ziegelzeig/) and [OceRydia](https://www.furaffinity.net/user/ocerydia), which you can find here:  
> [Halloweek 2018 - The Storyline](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13089413/1/Halloweek-2018-The-Storyline)
> 
> This story was betaread by the awesome Simon Fossa and SMNeff from the Bad Guy Cafe.  
> Thank you so much!

# End of a contract and a new journey

The young panthress looked up to the sky.  
She had still some time left, till the sun reached its zenith.

Fel was on a very special and equally important task, so she couldn´t allow herself to let her excitement ruin the last part of her task.  
It was the day of her entry into the ranks of the warriors of the tribe!

During her hunt for meat she proved her skills regarding the silent moving and fast kills.  
With her collection of herbs, berries and mushrooms she showed her knowledge of it, since only one wrong plant could cause massive problems for her tribe at the feast, she had to create as her final mission as a kid.  
But most have problems with this task: Fishing.  
You have to be patient and need to wait for the right moment, or it will be almost impossible to get enough for the whole village.

She can´t afford to disappoint her tribe…  
Everyone was so proud of her skills and development, some even dared to predict she can be among the most successful leaders of the whole history of her tribe:  
Lord Ad´uhn.  
Lord Ryn Anor.  
Lady Cath Eleen.  
Lady Feli Ce Tas.

The honor of even the mention to be possible to reach those spheres of reverence was far greater, than everything she could think of.

That´s why she started her work far earlier than anyone else, to provide them with the adequate amount of food for this feast. It was the least she could do to show them her gratitude for so much trust in her.

She smiled broad at those thoughts. But her green eyes never left the water at the side of the boat, where the net was in the water… waiting for the right moment to get as much fish as possible.  
Seemingly unimportant tiny waves showed her how much fish was in the desired area and she decided it was time.  
With a fast and strong pull, the net came up. Full with fish to even last a few days. The small boat rocked from side to side, but she could hold the balance and lifted it inside.

Back at the camp, where she stored the result of her hard work, Fel put everything into a big cart usually pulled by two strong hunters when it was filled to the brim like now, but it was part of her final exam to show strength and endurance.  
The muscles on her trained body tensed and with bared fangs she pulled.  
Not too long anymore and she would proudly enter the village of her tribe…  
But she wouldn´t enter as a kid anymore.  
No. She would enter it as the WARRIOR Fel Doras!  
Ready to fulfil her duty… and her fate.

She sensed a presence, so the panthress opened her eye and raised from the mat she kneeled on.  
“Commander?”  
“Come in.”  
A tiger entered the tent and bowed before the leader of the forces.  
“The troops await your final inspection.”  
“I´m ready.”  
With that she put on a black cloak with a golden hem and three crossed wheat ears inside a circle on its back.

Outside it was early morning and still a bit chilly, but from the small hill she had an excellent overview over the soldiers in full gear, positioned in different formations over the fields below her.

The orders for this inspection were explicit and she was satisfied they were followed to the letter.  
Her adjutant followed her on the paw to the nearest formation of around 200 medium-sized mammals in light armor, equipped with different shields and weapons.  
She send two short and one long roar into the sky and the mammals in front of them acted at once.  
Reformatting into a slim spearhead with the first ones wearing shields, the second row long spears and the following lines with small shields or armored bracers above drawn claws.

A short roar and the formation began to charge.  
With another short roar he stopped them, followed by two long ones which made them go into their starting formation.

“Formation, order and reactions accepted.”  
Her adjutant marked it on a clipboard and followed to the next formation.

This time it was a group of only around 50 mammals, but it were big ones like rhinos and elephants in heavy armor.

There again he ordered them into a specific formation, followed by an attack-maneuver and back...

The inspection took most of the day and after years of hard drill the soldiers would be able to defend their home with adequate resistance if necessary.

Satisfied with the result the panthress moved over to a heavily guarded canopy on the same hill her own tent stood.

She surveyed the positions and the patterns of the guards of various sizes for obvious gaps in their protection of the lord of those lands. As the best soldiers of the land her exceptions were even higher, than those for the regular troops…

An older lion sat on a simple chair and nodded as a greeting.  
“Commander Doras.”  
She bend down and her right paw made a soft metallic sound, when it hit the rivets on her light breastplate.  
“My lord.  
The inspection is finished. The troops are in a formidable state.”  
“Good. Sit down.”  
The panthress did as ordered.

“You are as efficient as promised. I saw that already after the first inspection ten years ago…  
It shouldn´t be surprising to say I would love for you to stay, but sadly that´s not an option. Right?”  
“Indeed. I have to continue my journey or every life will be in danger.”  
“I understand. Will you leave today, or will you stay at least one more night to start your travel in the morning?”  
“Our contract states I´ll stay until today is over, so I don´t intend to leave my post before that moment.”  
The lion smiled at that.  
“I decided to extend the payment for your impressive services:  
Even if you are on your travels, I´ll let the order for the scouts stay as they are.”  
“You are too generous.”  
“Our lands are secure thanks to your training and drill. It´s a small price for the exceptional services you offered to our battered lands.”  
“I simply fulfilled my part of the contract and you yours.”

The lord smiled even broader.  
“There´s still one important topic left: Your successor.”  
“If you allow, I would like to make a suggestion.”  
“You may.”  
She lifted her arm and pointed at her adjutant behind her.  
“Aaron here was my adjutant since the beginning. I´ve trained him and he was with me almost the entire time, I stood in your services…  
In my personal opinion he would be an excellent replacement for me as commander of your forces.”  
A silent sound could be heard as the clipboard fell from his paws to the ground as he froze.  
“B… But… Commander! It…”

The stammering of the tiger was stopped by the laughing of his lord.  
“Somehow I´m not surprised, you suggest him.”  
“He´s the logical choice. Intelligent, sharp and, most important, he earned the respect of your soldiers. They will follow him, as they followed me even into the hardest battles...”  
The lord lifted his paw to stop her from further explanations.  
“I understand your reasoning and I agree.”

“Thank you. Since the troops are already gathered, I would suggest to announce the transition of my position now. That way they can get back to their posts without the need to gather tomorrow again.”  
He just nodded and stood up.

His personal guard created a formation around their lord while he waved his paws to order both felines at his sides.

The sun was not far above the trees anymore, but it was still bright enough for everyone to see them on the hill.  
With a roar he demanded their undivided attention.  
“Soldiers! As you know: After ten years the service of Commander Fel Doras ends with the coming night.  
Many of you have been curious, who will follow her in her position.  
The decision wasn´t hard!  
The new commander of our forces: Aaron Stry!”

A roar did go through the army and welcomed their new commander.  
With that Fel opened the clip on her cloak and took it in both paws to offer it to the lord.  
But the lion just lifted his paw.  
“No.”  
The panthress was confused, as this was against the protocol.

With a clap of his paws one of his guards took a step to the tiger and offered a small piece of cloth.  
On a closer look his eyes opened wide, as he discovered it was the same cloak Commander Doras was wearing till a few moments ago.

“My lord?”  
“You BOTH put it on. That´s an order.”  
Still confused the felines did as ordered and turned to the troops, who wore a similar look.  
“Commander Stry will be the one in command of you. Commander Doras will go onto an important journey… If she found her target she will be allowed to be in command if needed.  
That´s why she will keep the cloak of the commander!”

The lion looked over to the tiger.  
“The troops are allowed to go.”  
“Yes, my lord.”  
After a series of roars all soldiers put their paws and hooves to their chest, bowed and turned to march in step away.  
It took them no time for the formations to disperse so the soldiers could head back to their posts or to their families.

The tiger still looked shocked into the direction of the troops, unbelieving he just did command them…  
And they obeyed without hesitation.  
“Well done.”  
He looked to the panthress at his side who nodded and turned to follow their lord back to the canopy.

It was neither surprising nor unexpected, but the feast to her honors was a rather big event the same evening.  
Nobility and officials were there and some were even bold enough to try to offer their interest to court her. Diplomacy was one of her duties during her time, so she declined those offers easily without being harsh.  
She was glad when it was finally midnight and she could leave.

She didn´t need long till she reached her quarters and began to loosen her armor.  
It will be the last night in a bed like this for a while and she intended to enjoy it…

But before she could get ready, her eye went to the door.  
Fel Doras stared at it for a while, before she stepped before the door and opened it.  
The tiger on the other side winced, as he was confronted with his former superior and saw her in much less than ever before… almost indecent.

“Comm… I mean… Mylady Doras… May I be so bold and ask for a moment of your time?”  
With a nod she took a step to the side.  
“You may enter.”

He was tense… extremely tense.  
“May I speak freely?”

She lifted her right eyebrow.  
“You may.”

“You will leave in the morning, right?”  
“Yes.”  
“How are the chances you will come back?”  
“Slim to none.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
“I would like to ask… Why me?”  
“You were the right decision.”  
“I didn´t mean my new post. You explained it to the lord and it made sense. But I meant… Why did you chose me as your adjutant?  
Just barely older than a boy…  
No special background…  
I said our lord were stupid at that first meeting with you at his side.”

She smiled at the memory.  
“Exactly. In a room full of soldiers you were the only one brave enough to say the idea was stupid. Only you succeed in that test.”  
“Wait. You mean he came up with that insane plan so someone would call him stupid?!”  
“No. I came up with the plan to bring someone to call him stupid.”  
“But…”  
“Remember the attack from the horde of savage demons during my first month here?”  
“Yes… I told you about the route through the caves.”  
“And now think hard: I had planned the defenses on the open fields and it was good. Would any of the others from the meeting have dared to say their commander was making a fatal mistake?”  
“…”  
He just shook his head.  
“I don´t think so.”  
“And what would be better: An adjutant who is loyal following his orders without daring to say a word, or an adjutant who THINKS before he act?”

A small smile appeared on his muzzle while his view went to his paws.  
“Thank you.”

He relaxed for a moment but went almost instantly tense again.  
Of course she did notice it.  
“I´ve been thinking a lot in the last year. Since I realized your departure was not far away anymore…”  
The tiger grabbed his paws and began to knead them.  
“… Did you ever regret…”  
He had to gulp a few times.  
“… when you didn´t take a chance? When you missed an opportunity for good?”

Since his eyes were down he didn´t see the short painful expression on her muzzle, but he could see how her left paw touched the fang, which was hanging around her neck.  
He didn´t dare to move a single muscle while the tiger awaited her answer.  
“Yes. I know that feeling.”

The tiger in front of her was fighting with himself, which was easily to see.  
Slowly he lifted his eyes and the tiger couldn´t stop himself to roam over every bit he could see.  
She wasn´t young, but it was impossible to deny that her body was in better shape than that of most females multiple decades younger than her:  
Long and slender legs, showing the strong muscles within.  
The black tail… Long, strong and during a fight she wears a blade attached to the end…  
A hard and well defined belly below the soft looking fur.  
Her bust was just the perfect size for her build. Not too small, not too big.  
Even the metallic prosthesis from below her right elbow was on some strange level appealing.  
The leather-straps holding the eyepatch over her left eye which was gone because of the three deep claw-scars crossing her muzzle from up to down.  
A piece of her left ear was missing. Maybe because of the same attack that destroyed her eye.  
The white fur around her snout was the only thing that showed her age.  
Finally the soft pale green right eye.  
She was just breath-taking.  
A strange mix of calm and panic rushed through his whole body when he heard his own voice…  
“Would you have allowed me to get to know you?  
And would I have stand a chance if I had asked to court you at a certain point?”

Her expression didn´t change, but she stayed still for a few moments regardless.  
She didn´t have to survey him, since she already knew his qualities and his faults.

“That´s hard to answer:  
I have a mission since the day I wasn´t a kid anymore.  
Without it we would have never met.  
But at the same time it didn´t allow me to dare to think about settling down.”

“But I have to know: If your mission would be over tomorrow… Would you accept my offer to court you?”  
For the first time since he entered her quarters he could swear her expression changed.  
“… “  
Fel sighed.  
“… There are things about me that would scare away most males… But yes. If you would still want it after some of those revelations, I would allow you to court me. It´s sad it wouldn´t be over tomorrow.”

“I… understand.”  
With a hanging head he did make a few steps to the door, before he froze.  
“But… even at the risk of being a disgusting fool…”  
The tiger turned around, straightened himself and looked her in the eye.  
“… What would you say, if I offered…”  
His body trembled at the thought of what he was about to say.  
“… m… my body? Just for tonight?”  
She was a few steps away, but he had no doubt his heart beat loud enough she could hear it.  
He wasn´t able to tell if the wide open eye was a good or a bad sign.

The sun rose above the trees and before the panthress entered the woods she turned around to look at the capital of this lands for one last time.  
A part of her was sad about what happened last night and another said it was the right thing.  
It was a rare occurrence for her to be torn like this.  
But she didn´t have a choice.  
Her paw touched the fang around her neck before she turned around and left the last ten years behind her… partly hoping their services will be never needed.

Her next goal was one of the countries far in the east and she did good progress.  
In the last village she was warned about bandits in the forest she´s actually in when the sun set and it got darker.  
But she wasn´t phrased.  
A small camp with a fireplace in the middle and some food over it.  
Fel had to grin, as she thought of how it have to look.  
She would never allow her underlings to make a camp without some sort of defense like a barricade around the camp and a clear rotation for the guards, but now she was sitting here alone, with closed eye at a tree with delicious smelling food over an open fire…

The sound of a snapped twig to her right let her open her eye. A rather fat and dirty wolf stood beside the fire.  
“A hot female, warm food and a big bag full of treasures… It seems to be my lucky day!”  
Shortly after that a painful scream sounds over the forest before it got deadly quiet again…


	2. Old life left, new life ahead

# Old life left, new life ahead

When the panthress entered the village in the early morning-hours she wasn´t surprised when not only the feline males started to stare at her.  
She had experienced this often enough to know it´s a kind of compliment in the weeks of her journey, but when a fool tried to touch her, he froze, when he felt the blade between his legs which was attached to her long tail.  
Just her pale green eye fixated him and it was a stark contrast to the full and completely midnight black fur on her muzzle…  
“You should learn to control your paws around females.”

He was still like a stature while she began to walk like nothing happened. Just holding the blade at its place till she was at tail-length away from him.

An older bull ahead of her smiled at her before he began to shout.  
“You are lucky! This seems to be the fierce kind of female who didn´t offer empty treats.”  
She offered the bowing bull a small grin, while she passed him and entered the almost empty tavern...  
Said bull followed her and walked to the counter.  
“What can I bring you?”  
“Something to drink and a meal. Preferable warm.”

With a nod he walked to the fireplace, where a big caldron hang above the fire and filled a bowl with the contents.  
He put the bowl and a tankard in front of her and accepted the offered coins.  
“What brings a young panthress like you to our village?”  
“I´m on a journey to the eastern countries. May I ask about the best routes to the east?”  
“There´s a big lake to the east, you have to go around it.  
The northern route is shorter, but most travelers don´t like the cold from the mountains north of it.  
The southern route is longer and easier, but the land is rather barren, so it will be a long journey without much to see.”  
“Good.”  
“And what is the reason for your journey?”  
She took a sip of her wine before she answered.  
“I have a responsibility to my family. That´s why I have to go.”  
“Many travelers came through this village on their way to or from the east. And as far as I heard not many panther-families live there.”  
“Maybe not, but I´m not looking for panthers. But have you heard of strange events with certain amounts of mindless demon-minions?”  
“’Mindless demon-minions’?”  
“I´m looking for a demon who have the ability to just spawn minions. Not strong, fast or intelligent, but in high amounts.”  
“Nothing of that kind. But I heard in one of the countries to the east they have problems with bandits.  
Disappearing patrols, killed families on secluded farms, fear of the woods…  
Not a place someone should be at the moment.”

The bull looked at the metallic paw and the eyepatch partly covering the deep scars and the determination in her eye and sighed…  
“Somehow I got the feeling you will go straight to that region. Correct?”  
She took another sip from her tankard before a smile appeared.

“It is always a joy to talk to someone who is intelligent and a good judge of character.”  
Now he couldn´t stop his eyebrow wandering up at this kind of compliment.  
“Would you mind explaining me the way?”

It was still some time before the rush for lunch but when she left she offered him some extra coins for his valued information and his pleasurable company during her meal.  
He couldn´t put his hoof on it, but something told him she was much more than he could even imagine.  
But regardless what that was, a big grin appeared on his muzzle, while he looked at her backside and especially the blade at the end of her tail.  
>Bandits, demons, whatever lays ahead of you… They won´t know what will hit them.<

It took her some more weeks till she saw the walls of the capital appearing at the horizon.  
The taverns on her way were a source of information regarding the lord of those lands, the soldiers and the citizens. Enough to decide this to be the next place to offer her services.

It was late spring now and on the fields the farmers are busy with preparing everything.  
Two rhinos stood at the gate and when she reached it, one of them looked disinterested at her.  
“Why are you here?”  
“Family-matters.”  
“You may pass.”  
Without changing her expression she passed them, but on the inside she was furious!  
If the rest of the solders and guards are with the same kind of motivation on their posts, she will have to stature an example to the lord.

Not long after she passed the city-wall, she entered the market and she was close to a rage, when she saw how undisciplined the guards were. Some were even drinking while on duty!  
She entered the next inn and asked for a room.  
After she stowed away her belongings she sat on the bed and began to meditate to rest, and waited for the dusk.  
During her stroll through the night she saw a small spark of hope as she observed the night watchmen fulfil their duties at the correct time. They could have been in better shape, but as the physical strain of this duty was rather limited it would be ok… for now.  
At the castle of the lord she took position at an observation-point and began her watch.

After the first night she was appalled and the second night didn´t change her opinion.  
Halfway through the third night she saw no other option than to act.

A tree at the walls made it easy for her to enter the grounds without being seen.  
The guard wasn´t very observant and didn´t even notice the sleek figure on the walls around them for two reasons: Her black fur gave her an advantage and those places weren´t well lit.  
The door to the next section wasn´t locked and no separate guard was on that post.  
She encountered the first obstacle when she was already within the keep!  
A single guard stood in front of the door to the bedchamber of the lord.  
It took him a few moments but then she could hear him sniffing.  
She knocked slightly with her prosthesis against the wall and, as expected, the wolf came with a blade in her direction.

He was rather young and she had almost mercy with him, but she must have stucked to her plan.  
With a quick motion she grabbed the blade with her metallic paw, closed his snout with her left one and pressed the blade at her tail against his throat.  
“Make no sound and you will live. Understood?”  
His eyes went quickly from her muzzle to the paw, holding his weapon and back to her, before he very slightly nodded.  
“Good. Now I will talk to the lord.”  
She took his blade, laid her tail around his neck and her blade at the tip back at his throat.

With her paw still around his snout, she walked to the door and opened it.  
The room on the other side was rather simple and on the bed laid the lord of those lands, a white tiger.

She stopped some steps before the bed and coughed a few times to wake the tiger.  
“W... Wha… What?”  
When he opened his eyes it didn´t take him long to see the intruder and his guard at her side.  
“What is the meaning of this?”  
“The security of this place is terrible.  
Only this one was even aware I´m here before I overwhelmed him.  
What shall I do with him?”  
He looked at the wolf at her mercy.  
“Would my answer change my fate?”  
“No.”  
“… Please let him go.”  
“Right answer.”

Both looked confused at the panthress.  
“You care for your underlings enough to ask for their lives. That´s what I heard about you.”  
She placed the wolf´s blade in the scabbard at his belt, let go of his snout and pulled back her tail.  
“I´ll ask for an audience tomorrow to officially offer my services.”  
Wide open maws were the reaction to that and she couldn´t hide a grin while the tiger was searching for words...  
“What services?”  
“Security, diplomacy, troop-training and commander. But I would propose to talk about the details at my audience, since it could be seen as inappropriate to be in your bedchambers at night. Would you approve of an audience at noon?”

He couldn´t believe what just happened and only nodded.  
She hit her breastplate with her metallic paw and bowed, before she turned around to leave the room.  
“May we know your name?”  
The question came surprisingly by the young wolf.  
“I wear the same name as my mother you may have heard about: Fel Doras.”  
With that she left the room and both males stared at the closed door.

The next morning was a strange mix of tension and excitement.  
After she was gone the lord had ordered the guards to be aware of the panthress, but he couldn´t sleep anymore.  
And what he heard from some members of his court regarding the name Fel Doras was unbelievable:  
In a farming-country at the west-coast of the continent, the rumors said she was able to train the troops within just 4 years to be able to hold off the neighbors, which wanted their land for themselves.  
Other references regarding the line of the Doras-family said it was the same even on another continent.  
If even only half of those stories were true… She would maybe the only chance for his battered lands as the last years were… catastrophic. And that was an optimistic estimation.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard how his personal guard pulled his blade.  
A quick look to the wolf was enough to assume, what had triggered this reaction, even before he followed his view to the panthress before his table.

She hit her breastplate with her paw and bowed.  
“My lord. I´m here to offer my services.”  
“You may take a seat.”  
He pointed to a chair on the other side of the rather simple table.  
“Thank you.”

But before she did as offered, Fel Doras stepped in front of the young wolf who had still his blade in his paws.  
“Have you forgotten, what happened last night?”  
“… No… I… haven´t… But I´ve sworn… to protect him… You are… still a… stranger.”  
The wide open eyes, his sweating and the stuttering was to a certain degree… cute…  
“Good answer.”  
With that she turned around and took a seat.

Now the lord looked with confusion at her.  
“My lord. Many of the rumors you heard from your court are true regarding the name of my family. And as it should be beneficial to have one with that name in your services, you still have no proof I told the truth beside the fact I demonstrated my skills. And if I would be an assassin after your life: I could have done that last night.  
So he should let nobody you personally know near you.  
He knows about his chances for success in a fight with me, but he got ready regardless.  
That was a very good display of common sense.”  
Both ignored the burning red muzzle of the wolf at the side of the lord.

“If we just assume you are the one you say and your skills are as I heard, I would guess your fee will be rather high?”

“No. I won´t need much money... A payment like a regular soldier is enough for my needs. Board and lodging.  
Further, as soon as the forces reached a certain level I need permission to send out serval scouting-parties in search for a very explicit demon.  
It´s an extremely dangerous and powerful demon, who can create minions that I´m hunting.  
If we found him, I won´t be able to defeat him by myself. So I need the strength of an army for that.

In exchange I will stay in your services for a period of ten years.

I will offer my services as trainer of your troops:  
I will survey the order, the combination and the skills of your troops and change it where it´s necessary.  
Further I intend to take care of certain aspects of the city-guard such as the discipline.

I will offer my services as fighter and commander of the troops:  
No one under my command will do duties I wouldn´t fulfil myself.  
During battles I´ll be within the frontlines and I will mostly be among them outside of the battles too.

I will offer my services as diplomat to settle disputes without the need to fight if possible.  
For obvious reasons I can´t allow to waste troops in silly arguments so that´s always my preferable option.

Lastly I will instruct someone to be my adjutant who will be able to replace me until you have chosen a new commander if I fall or our contract ends...”

“So you want to train our army to fight for you?”  
“Technically yes. If you want to see it that way, you could see it as a gambling:  
The last trained army in the west wasn´t needed during the time of my mother.  
It is possible, your lands are secure from that demon for now, since my family started it´s crusade on this continent just recently and the important first step will be to train troops spread over the country, so when he starts his next war, we have at least strong posts at strategic points to coordinate counterattacks.  
On the downside let it be told, over the time of the crusade of my family it encountered this demon over 10 times in grand scale battles. Every single one of those were victorious, but sadly it was under heavy losses and the demon could escape.”

“So those sacrifices were wasted?!”  
“No. He can spawn his minions steadily. So: If we didn´t fight him to decimate his troops, he would have already enough minions to overwhelm the combined armies of the whole known world by sheer numbers.  
If we found him we have to strike fast and hard to destroy him. It is the only chance for our world.”  
“I have to confess: I see the point in the ‘crusade’, as you called it, your family is. I would propose this:  
You join our troops and you are free to begin your survey and training under the commander.  
After three months I will promote you to commander if the results are as you promise.”  
“That is acceptable. Your officials should begin with writing down the contract.  
In the evening it should be finished.  
If you allow, I would like to begin my work.  
For that I need access to the reports and it would be preferable if the actual commander would be available for questioning about the status of the troops.”  
The lord nodded and turned his head to the doors.  
“Guards!”  
Only a second later the door was opened and one of the guards entered.  
His first reaction was a confused look at the armored panthress.  
“My lord?”  
“I need the Commander here.”  
“On my way.”

It didn´t take long and the door opened again. This time the commander of the troops entered… A tiger with a rather bored expression.  
“Commander.”  
“My lord.”  
Fel´s eye began to twitch at the greeting of the male.  
He didn´t bow, what was exclusive to family and very close friends of a lord and since he was called by his title, she excluded that.  
In the end it was just disrespectful…

“The lady Doras will take care of multiple aspects of our troops until further notice. Provide her with the required information. Dismissed.”  
“Yes, my lord.”  
The disrespect he showed was intolerable…  
After a protocol-confirm bow she followed the tiger out of the room.

Just a few doors down the corridor he turned to a door and entered it. The interior wasn´t an archive or the office of the commander, but private-quarters. He slammed it close behind her and spoke in a deep voice.  
“I don´t know who you are and I don´t care. You will do as I say and when you are an obedient little kitty, I´ll maybe offer you a good fuck. Did I make myself clear?”

The reply came without changing her expression from the panthress.  
“Very.  
You don´t care for this lands.  
You don´t care for the troops under your command.  
You show no respect towards your lord.  
You show no respect towards females.  
So I would guess you got your position as commander, because a relative was the previous commander. Your father or maybe an uncle.  
Not because you earned it.  
I would guess, you never even got out on patrol or trained together with the troops.  
I dare to doubt your fighting-skills and your leading-skills are average at best.  
It is questionable if you are aware of the problems outside your personal space, or if you don´t care.”  
“You disrespect your commander?! I could crush you just with a single paw!”  
“In contrast to you I didn´t show disrespect towards our lord. I didn´t disrespect the Commander, but the pitiful mammal behind it.”  
“And if you want to… ‘crush’ me: Make it in public, if you dare. On the training-grounds. And if you succeed, I´ll be an obedient little female who pretends to look up to you and will follow every order the moment you voice it.”  
He bend down to her and grinned wide.  
“With pleasure. This will be an easy task.”  
“If I win…”  
“To make it short: You can demand everything you want… You won´t win, so don´t waste time to think of something specific.”  
With a nod she turned around and left the room.

He led her to the training-grounds and the surprised looks of the soldiers as they passed them told her exactly what she had to know…

In the middle of the area was a circle for combat-training and they moved into it.  
Without missing a beat the tiger lifted his arms.  
“This female wished a public humiliation and I generously accepted. When I´m finished with her and she´s not good you can have her.”  
“Would you like to repeat your part?”  
“Just as a formality: If she wins, she can demand everything she want and I will grant it.”

Now a small smile graced her maw.  
Without any warning the tiger charged the panthress with extended claws.


	3. First clarifications and a hell of work

# First clarifications and a hell of work

The attack wasn´t as unexpected as the tiger thought.  
Fel just sidestepped and let her tail-blade shot up at her former position and cut off two of his claws.  
“It´s obvious you don´t know a thing about the proper etiquette…  
No referee was named.  
No rules were stated.  
No conditions for the victory were settled.  
So I´ll have to take care of certain things.”

The tiger stared at his cut off claws, before he attacked again.  
With s quick paw-sweeper she send him to the ground.  
“You…”  
She pointed at a bear within the big group of soldiers which had gathered around the circle.  
“… will be the official who will announce the winner.”

“You filthy slut!”  
The panthress got down on one knee and made a roll to the side, when a paw came from above.  
Through the impact on the floor the tiger lose two claws from his left paw.  
“As you didn´t hesitate to use your claws, I will assume you want to fight with weapons, which bears the danger of heavy injuries when used by an amateur.”

Before her opponent could charge again she made a jump to him, grabbed his right arm, kicked him in the belly and made a backflip. With that she used her metallic paw to break another one of his claws.  
“The simplest winning-condition in this situation would be to knock the opponent out.”  
The mammals around them stared in awe at the panthress who is openly playing with their commander…

“To let you know before-paw: I´ll demand from you to act like I would be your commander already.  
At least as far as it isn´t regarding official tasks, which are per law restricted to the position of the commander.  
Your obedience will be mandatory.  
I doubt you are able to feel true respect for others, but you will SHOW respect.”  
She ran to him, ducked under his punch, used her momentum to lift herself up his back on his shoulders, closed her legs around his neck and made a roll forward to smash the tiger hard to the ground. After that Fel broke two claws on his left paw.

“You will never be the Commander! And you will never surpass me!”  
The last two claws on his right paw broke, when she blocked the attacking paw with her open metallic paw, turned around to grab his other paw with her left and made a forward-roll again. While they were still in the air she turned around, her tail-blade cut off the last claw on his right paw and when he hit the ground again, the tiger was winded.  
The panthress straddled his chest, while smirking down to him.

“Look at this.”  
She looked at his paws as if they were some very interesting objects.  
“All gone. I hope you will stick to your word.”  
With that she let go of his left paw and when the metallic prosthesis hit his chin he was out.

It was silent in the area and when the panthress stood up, every single one stared at her.  
“I know: This kind of introduction is very unusual, but sadly in this situation it was necessary.  
My name is Fel Doras and the lord accepted the offer for my services.  
I´ll be in charge of multiple aspects of your training, duty and discipline.”

Many of the soldiers were confused, others still shocked and some relieved.  
“The foundation of an effective army is respect and discipline.  
I´ll demand respect not only towards our lord or commanding officers, but especially towards your comrades. THOSE are the one you have to trust with your life, if it comes to a battle.”  
Fel turned around and surveyed the reactions to her words.  
“HE…”  
She pointed at the tiger on the ground.  
“… didn´t just show no respect towards our lord, but was very disrespectful and ignored his orders.”

The reactions were very unpleasant, since the soldiers showed no surprise at her revealing.  
“Expect some orders, changes in the duty-rotation and a troop-inspection in the near future.  
Now: Can anyone tell me who is in charge of the archive and where I´ll find him?”  
With unsure steps a fossa of average build came to her.  
“I´m in… in charge of the… archives… commander Doras…”  
She lifted a paw to stop him.  
“I´m not the commander. Only when our lord decide it´s time for that.”

The panthress opened her arms in a gesture to show she meant everyone around her.  
“Continue with your training.”  
With a simple bow to the soldiers she showed them respect and it was unsettling to see the surprise and confusion to her simple gesture.  
“Please lead me to the archives.”  
“… What… about the… commander?”  
A short look to the unconscious tiger on the ground and she shrugged with her shoulders.  
“Let him be as long as he didn´t block the needed space.”

The archives were a big room, lined with shelves, filled with scrolls, books and boxes.  
“I need an overview about the situation, the condition of the troops and potential dangerous neighbors. Are you familiar with the reports?”  
“Yes. To archive them in a plausible order I have to know the topics.”  
“Good. Let´s begin with a map of the region.”  
With a nod he got a big scroll from a shelf within a few seconds and rolled it out on a big table near the entrance.  
“You are familiar with the order as well. That´s good. But you are rather young to know your way in here so well.”  
The fossa was indeed very young. Fel guessed around 14…  
He didn´t answer right away, but gulped a few times. Obviously searching for words.  
“If you think about how you shall formulate your answer: Don´t.  
I need clear and honest answers, so: Speak free.”

“The commander send most of the older and experienced soldiers to the camps guarding the forest to the east. The younger ones were within the city but he needed as much soldiers as guards and for the patrols as possible, so the ones usually too young for military service were enlisted for tasks such as archive or taking care of the weapons under the master of arms.  
I´m in charge of the archive since two years.”  
“Why is that forest so dangerous?”  
“There is a tribe of dangerous demons within it and the commander tried to annihilate them a few times, but after the third failed attempt he let build heavily guarded encampments around it to hold them in.”  
“A tribe? What kind of demons?”  
“The reports told of a strange mix of cheetah and aries. Sleek and extremely fast, equipped with horns to ram and kill their opponents.”  
She couldn´t deny a slight confusion upon hearing this…  
Her tribe had collected an enormous amount of knowledge regarding demons. The description was fitting to a very intelligent and mighty, but peaceful kind…  
And even if the time where almost everyone was sure demons equals evil are long over and nowadays many are still afraid of them, that didn´t justify to post an army around their lands…  
“Are there reports about the beginning of this conflict?”  
“I´ll have to look. It should be within the older ones, since this situation began many, many years ago.”  
“Later.  
Now I need an overview of the troops.  
Hopefully at least the register and military maps are under lock within the commander-office?”  
“Yes.”  
“Good. In that case: Recruitment-lists, invoices about food and weapon-supplies and open reports about special incidents.”  
“I´m on my way.”

When the sun began to set, Fel felt like she would have hold her head into a big bell during the noon…  
The ‘habits’ of the leadership should have been prevented long ago!  
Bad planning, wrong priorities and the worst mistake any lord could do regarding promoting: To earn a post not by skill, but just because a relative had it before!

She didn´t have to wait long till the guard told her she could enter.  
The panthress stepped in front of the lord´s desk, put her paw against her chest and bowed.  
And the Commander stood at his side with an expression of distaste.  
“My Lord.”  
“The Commander told me he wouldn´t recommend to enlist your services because of an event after you two left me... I would like to hear what you have to say.”  
“After we left the Commander led me to his quarters. There it came to a disagreement about my skills and duties. After a comment which stated he could easily defeat me, I offered to end this disagreement in a fight. He agreed and we went to the training-grounds. I hoped he would be honorable enough to accept his defeat and went with the young archivist to the archives to gather verified information for a first survey of the situation.”

“Do you want to go into detail about this… ‘disagreement’?”  
“If the Commander didn´t see it necessary to go into the details, I would like not to border you with this.”  
The lord just lifted an eyebrow, while the tiger stared at her with wide and confused eyes before he was addressed...  
“Do YOU wish to go into the details?”  
“No, my lord.”  
“Good. Lady Doras, here is the contract.”  
The panthress studied the document and signed it.  
“If you would allow, I would like to continue where the Commander and I were… interrupted.”  
“You two are dismissed.”  
“Thank you my lord.”  
With that she put her paw to her chest and bowed. The corners of her maw twitched when she saw how the commander copied her action and followed her out of the room.

“Why?”  
“To your office. There we can talk.”  
Their goal was just one door further down the corridor, from where he led her into his quarters.  
“Now: Why?”  
“Be precise.”  
“Why didn´t you brag about how you humiliated me?”  
“You may have lost every bit of respect with your words, actions and behavior, but you could restore a bit with your proper farewell just now.  
So I will explain it this way: One of the most important diplomatic rules, especially in the long run, is to avoid unnecessary enemies.  
You may still be an incompetent disgrace for your title, but I wouldn´t gain anything from a petty expose like that.  
On the other paw: If you should be able to learn, you can still earn yourself a position fitting for your skills if they improve far enough.  
Now tell me what is better: someone who hates you or someone who could maybe a valuable ally?”  
“So you give me breadcrumbs in hopes I didn´t stab you in the back as soon as possible?”  
“Exactly.”  
Now the commander was really shocked. He didn´t really know what he had expected, but definitely not this.  
And he felt strangely relieved to hear that.

“We already lost a day, so we will go over the most important points I need to know and tomorrow we will continue… When does the lord get his daily report?”  
“Since there are no special events, he get a weekly report.”  
With an open eye she stared at him, before she began to snarl with a deep voice.  
“Are you seriously telling me he didn´t know about the causalities in the troops?!”  
“That happens for years now. And even when we guard the forest of the demons they are fast enough to get through our lines to attack at places we didn´t expect it.”  
“I still need to look through a lot of documents. But if those are the kind of demons I think, then you have wasted indescribable amounts of troops, supplies and funds to a powerful and intelligent, but peacefully tribe which have nothing to do with those causalities!”  
“But they are demons! They represent a danger!”  
“YOU have to understand a simple truth: There are good demons and bad demons. Just as there are good animals and bad animals out there. Now we study the military maps and tomorrow BEFORE our lord get his breakfast I´ll give you the instructions for a proper report. After that we will continue the survey till I´m satisfied with the overview.  
I estimate 3 to 5 days for that. After that we will optimize the training of the troops, the armory and the plan for the guards of the castle. When those are on their way, we will inspect the camps, outposts and secluded settlements. Further measures will be added if necessary. When the condition of the troops is rising, I´ll plan with the lord a diplomatic mission to the demon-tribe, which leads us to free around 50% of the troops if I´m successful.”

The guards of this day looked rather shocked, when they saw the panthress at the side of their commander showed respect with a simple slight bow to them.  
She nodded to the commander and he entered the room where the lord was served his breakfast.  
“Could you please let the door a crack wide open?”

Usually they would deny it outright, but those were some of the ones who had the pleasure to watch the… ‘fight’ the day before and therefore know who she was…

Fel had to confess: To a certain degree she was satisfied, when the commander had to answer the lord´s questions why the discovered problems weren´t addressed earlier, but that was necessary, since he had to be informed. Only that way he can understand the upcoming changes in his lands.

The following days were spend to equal parts with the commander and the archivist and due to the headache which grew stronger with every day the panthress sometimes wanted to scream when she heard of even more failures of the lazy commander within the recent years.  
His father was a decent one and made wise decisions, but the son had changed so many orders just to ‘fight off’ the demons to the east.

Fel hoped the skills of the soldiers would be at least above average, since the tiger she left behind didn´t care for this aspect and as consequence didn´t mess with it.

When she entered the training-grounds, everyone stopped in his tracks and stared at her.  
On her way to the circle in the center she pointed at a bear and a lion.  
“Please follow me.”  
With a gulp they followed the dangerous female they saw just a few days earlier destroying their commander.

Fel pointed at the bear.  
“You will be our referee.”  
The next words were directed towards the lion.  
“No use of deadly weapons. Victory when the opponent did hit the ground tree times. Is that acceptable for you?”  
He didn´t made a sound at first, followed by a few gulps.  
“If it makes you feel better: It isn´t my intention to teach you a lesson regarding respect. I need to know your fighting-skills. I intend to do this with different members of the army to be able to evaluate the condition of your training.”

This seemed to calm him just a bit.  
“Yes… It is.”  
“Very well.”  
She loosened the blade at the end of her tail and got onto position around four steps in front of the lion.  
A look to the bear remembered him of his position.  
“On your positions!  
Bow.”  
She hesitated not even the fraction of a second to bow in respect for her opponent without her eye leaving the mammal before her.  
It was still a refreshing experience for a high-ranking member to show respect towards the regular soldiers.  
“Fight.”  
He made a step to the side but the expected attack from the panthress… didn´t come.  
She still stood in a fighting-stance, waiting for his first move.

After some seconds the lion dared an attack. He expected it to be a failure. But he didn´t expected the mercy as his opponent just avoided his punch with a fluid step to the side.  
The next swing hit the air too and he made some steps back...

“You had the commander at this time already a few times on the ground, but now you just avoided me?”  
“As soon as you understood I need you to fight in earnest, I will stop to simply let you dance around me.”  
He thought he would understand what she meant and with a slight smile got into a fighting-stance again.  
On his next punch she caught his paw with her metallic paw and grinned.  
“Finally.”  
What followed was a sheer rain of punches to multiple places on his body of whom he could block most.  
After around a minute of this, the panthress took a few steps back and looked at him.  
“Why didn´t you counter-attack?”  
“How? I was busy with blocking your hailstorm of punches!”

She just lifted her eyebrow.  
“Now you.”  
“What?”  
“Try to hit me. Fast, accurate and strong.”  
Something was telling him he would regret it, but he did as ordered.  
His own punches came almost as fast as hers, but she could block almost everyone.  
Her paws were busy with blocking as it was for himself, but then something happened:  
She turned around, wrapped her tail around his right wrist and used her momentum to pull him a step forward. After that she stood back to back to him, lifted her paws over her head back to his neck, grabbed him and threw him with a strong pull over her body. The pain that run through his body let him see stars for a moment and he needed a moment to process what just happened, while he looked at the ground. After a quick roll on his back, she stood above him. But not for another attack… She hold her paw to him to help him up.

“A good basic, but what did I use you didn´t?”  
He grimaced at the thought alone of her action and after a moment he opened his eyes wide while looking at his wrist.  
“You used your tail…”  
“Exactly. In a fight for life and death, you have to utilize EVERY possible weapon and opportunity. Forget in those situations words like ‘fair’ or ‘appropriate’... They will kill you.  
For example: Especially males have a problem to use the opportunity to bite their male opponents between their legs. And I think I don´t have to explain why that location is a very effective place to attack.”  
At that the male audience clamped their legs together.

“Now attack again.”  
The bear hold his paw between the two and after a moment lifted it.  
He charged with a barrage of hits concentrated on her left side to push her into the defense. And when she tried to turn again around him, he just grabbed her tail and pulled…  
But the effect wasn´t as expected: There wasn´t a scream of pain, but a searing pain in his right knee which send him to the ground again...  
“I´m impressed to a certain level. But you have to see: Even some small details could tell you much about your opponent.”

Fel helped him up again and crossed her arms before her chest.  
“You have to be able to read your opponent. You are intelligent and able to improvise.  
After you understood what you need to win, you decided to attack my left side because of this...”  
With that she pointed to the eyepatch above her left eye.  
“… and when I tried to use the same trick as before you were fast enough to realize the opportunity to grab my tail to get me out of my momentum. But your timing was not ideal, since you pulled when I was in the perfect position to kick your knee.  
Now I want to hear what you guess about me.”  
“Let´s see… You destroyed the commander and beat me without breaking in sweat. So I would guess you are the kind of fighter who is fanatically training to get better and better.”  
“Good. Continue.”  
“I shouldn´t have expected a scream of pain at my pull at your tail. With the scars in your muzzle and your arm, that should be barely more than a sting. Right?”  
“Excellent. Something else you see?”  
“Somehow you seem to get everyone to respect you even if you arrived just a few days ago. But I can´t really say why.”  
Fel nodded to agree.  
“Not bad. We´ll see if you understand it at a later time. How´s your knee?”  
“Could use a cold wrap for it.”  
“Ok. Take care of your injury. We will finish this another time.”  
With that she bowed to him.  
“Wait… Just like that?”  
“Yes. Any kind of fight right now would make no since when you are not able to show me everything you have. But beware: After an adequate amount of time, that won´t be a reason to stop the training… Now it would cause more problems than it would help.”

Over the course of the day she challenged multiple soldiers and most even volunteered after the first fight.  
“I can say I´m very satisfied with your overall-skills. A solid base and you can work together very well. When the next training-order comes out I trust you to help each other to reach the goal.”  
Before she left them she bowed to them and even added her paw to her chest to show her uttermost respect for them.  
Without missing a beat, the soldiers on the grounds returned the gesture and the panthress knew: The hardest step of her work was accomplished.

On the way to her quarters she already thought about the plans for the troops and guards.  
The next few days won´t be easy either…


	4. Diplomacy – good preparation is half the victory

# Diplomacy – good preparation is half the victory

The biggest problem for the security of the castle was the simple lacking of guards.  
And the ones who were there are rather young. Most barely an adult or at least in the early stages of adulthood.  
Fel had no other choice than to accept the lacking and get the plans as secure as possible for now.

The patrol was with just 3 soldiers practically non-existent and, even if their skills were above average, wouldn´t stand in a serious situation, but it was everything she had as she accompanied them on their route to check on the camps...

They haven´t left the castle-grounds yet, when she already had to correct the three wolves.  
“Do you all your patrols side by side?”  
They looked at each other, before the one in the middle answered.  
“Yes?”  
Fel put her paw over her eye before she sighed.

“Turn around. When I touch your neck you will make a sound and you two will turn to him.”  
They did as ordered and she closed her paw around the neck of the one on the right side.  
When the other two turned around as ordered, one had the blade at the end of her tail at his throat while the other had the claws of her left paw at his.  
“You are dead.  
Now get into a row with at least 2 steps between you.”

After they got in position, she grabbed the neck of the last one again.  
Due to the bark the other two turned around and while the second could only watch as the panthress put her paw around his neck too, she let her tail swing at the throat of the first one, who could barely lift his arm to block the attack.  
“Good. Now tell me: Why were you able to block this attack?”  
“Because… When I turned around… you weren´t already at my throat?”  
“Correct. When you are on patrol, regardless of your number, you have to survey the situation and only have two options:  
Either you are clearly strong enough to defeat the treat…  
… or you have to sacrifice your life and that of your comrades if the treat is far too strong to enable a single one to escape so he could report it and warn others.”  
“What?!”  
“You know about the vanished patrols?”  
“Of course.”  
“Now think clearly: Let´s assume they are all dead… What would have happened if only a single one had survived to tell what happened?”  
“It wouldn´t have changed a thing.”  
“Oh… And why?”  
“We know the demons in the forest are behind it!”  
“Wrong. You assume they were it, just because they are demons. Nothing more.”  
She took a step back and pointed at the first wolf.  
“We didn´t have enough for a proper patrol. So you will be the sole vanguard.”  
The last one was the rearguard and the one in the middle would be with her in the center.

After leaving the city behind them, Fel began to ask questions about their surroundings and other mentionable details about the lands they are about to cover.

Besides the lax start, the patrol did go surprisingly smooth and after some time Fel began to set goals, small exercises and tests about their observation-skills during their patrol to test and train them. They were satisfactory and she told them exactly that.

With the situation at paw they wouldn´t have much paws to build an embattled camp for the night but the wolves stated they would usually rest just like that in the woods they pass.  
That wasn´t acceptable so she encouraged them to a tight march to reach the central fort before dusk.

It wasn´t a complete success, but shortly after the sky went dark they reached the gates and the entry was granted.  
“Please lead us to the captain.”  
They were led to a simple building at the center of the fort where the solder knocked.  
“Enter.”  
After a few moments the soldier came out again.  
“You may enter.”  
Inside they stood before a seasoned bear, still wearing his armor.  
Fel bowed and brought her paw to her chest. When the three wolves did the same, he was visibly confused.  
“Usually the patrol arrives at midday, not at night.”  
“Captain, I have to talk to you, but before that I would like to ask if you could provide a place to rest for those three?”  
He nodded to the soldier who leaded them to him and just a few moments later they were alone.  
“So. Now what is it you want to talk about?”  
The panthress took out a scroll and gave it to the bear.  
“This is an explanation from the commander. Confirming I´ll tell the truth.”  
With a lifted eyebrow he broke the seal and read the message.  
“You will be the next commander?!”  
“Presumably.”  
The bear shrugged his shoulders.  
“It can´t get worse. Let´s see, what you can do.”  
“I expect it´s rather… boring here…”  
“That´s a way to say it.”  
“What would you say at the prospect of proving this watch as unnecessary?  
To be free for other duties?”  
“I´m all ears…”  
“Here we have a huge forest within a basin.  
On this side we have the only entry to it.  
Guarded by 21 big forts with many soldiers.  
Inside this basin we have a demon-tribe everyone is afraid of.  
And those ‘dangerous’ demons didn´t attack your soldiers.  
Correct?”  
“Indeed.”  
“I have a plan for which I could use your help…”  
“Please continue.”

When the wolves woke up the next morning and left their quarter for the night they could see how the panthress was already on one of the smaller training-grounds inside the fort and had a fight with the captain of the forest-guards.  
And it seems at least half of the fort stood around them.  
The fight was absolutely impressive as that bear was, as far as they know, the first one who wasn´t hopelessly inferior.

They watched in awe till they stopped, bowed to each other and went back to his office.  
“So glad I haven´t pissed her off like the commander…”  
“Oh yes!”

For the rest of the day they accompanied her to inspect the rest of the forts to the north, before they spend the night in the main-fort again.  
On the following day the ones to the south were inspected and after the last night they began their tight march back to the capitol.

After their return and report to the commander, her first way led her to the fossa in charge of the archive.  
“Lady Doras.”  
She returned the greeting with the same bow as him and went to the table.  
“I need every single report about the conflict with the tribe to the east. Numbers of attacks, counterattacks and causalities.  
Land-surveying-reports for those lands surrounding the mountain-range around the forest.  
Tax-reports before and after the beginning of the conflict.  
Harvest-reports before and after.  
Occurrences with bigger impacts in other parts of the lands from before until today.”  
“That´s a lot… To get everything could take a few days…”  
“Bring me the first ones and a map I can write on, please. We will need to be as accurate as possible for this.”  
“I´ll do my best.”  
With that he turned around and after less than a minute she had a clear map and the first scrolls in front of her.

It wasn´t by far the most exciting days of her life, but the impact could lead to a new era for the lands. So she couldn´t allow herself even the slightest miscalculation or inaccurate information.  
The fossa was at her side the whole time and he was astonished at the results of the numbers…  
“It was almost as if you knew it…”  
“I did. I know about this kind of demon and to kill in bloodthirst is not their behavior. But sadly even nowadays most equal demon with evil… Regardless if it´s correct or not.  
Now I need you to question every evaluation on the sole base of the available documents.”  
“I won´t disappoint you.”

It took them almost two weeks in which Fel supervised the new training-tasks of the soldiers within the castle for the most part of the day and in the evening the fossa confronted her with every possible angle to refute her statement, but was unsuccessful.

Just after the commander had given his daily report and left, the panthress and the fossa entered. And they pulled a cart with countless documents with them.  
Both bowed and put their paws to their chests.  
“My Lord, thank you for this audience.”  
“You said it was important?”  
“Very. During the last weeks I acquired information with the help of this archivist who stood for more than two years in your services. I have a proposition to make and need your approval.”  
“And what is it?”  
“I beg you to let us explain, before you decide.”  
A curious nod was her sign to continue.  
“I plan to end the conflict with the demon-tribe to the east.”  
“The commander tried that already. Why do you think you will be successful?”  
“Simple. I didn´t plan a military strike. I intend to install a peace-contract.”  
“WHAT?! With those monsters?”  
“My lord. Opposite to the public opinion demons are not evil per definition. During the services in countless countries, my family accumulated a significant amount of knowledge about demons. Especially the reports from the beginning of this conflict showed very clearly: This tribe belongs to a kind of demon who is extremely intelligent and powerful, but at the same time very peaceful.  
The documented battles between soldiers and demons show they only acted in defense of their lands. There is not a single one outside their woods…”  
“But they kill our patrols!”  
“No. I can verify with the reports, that they bring their fallen enemies to a clearing and lured the soldiers to them, so they could be buried and rest in peace. If they would have been behind this, you would have found the bodies.”  
“That´s a suspicion.”  
“Verified due to knowledge about this kind of demon and reports of the former commanders.”  
“You seem to be very confident in this…”  
“Yes.”  
“But I´m still not convinced this is a good idea.”  
“I expected that. So I made some evaluations, which maybe change your opinion about this.”  
“Continue.”

The fossa rolled out a map in front of their lord.  
“Here we have a map of these lands. The area around the mountain-range was in the years before the conflict one of the most fertile lands in this part of the world. But after the discovery of the tribe in the forest those lands were adorned for security-reasons.  
No proven reasons, just the news of the demons was enough. There is not a single report of a death through one of those demons within those farmers.”  
“What have that to do with the threat from the demons?”  
“Simple.”

She pointed to the map before him.  
“If you could settle farmers there again your taxes will rise drastically.  
I´ve marked the taxes provides through those regions before and after the beginning of the conflict.  
When the farmers would settle again in this regions it should take two to four years to go back at least to around 80-90% of their former value.  
But right now the problem is, that the farmers are afraid to go there.  
There are two ways to take away this fear: Eliminate the treat regardless if it´s real or not, or openly show the treat isn´t real…  
As already said: The military option is proven as a failure.  
With the peace-contract on the other paw, you will show them they are no treat, you have 53% of your soldiers free to patrol these lands and your border and those demons can be a valued ally, if you allow to prove it.”  
“You know it´s ridiculous to send a diplomat there. They will kill him.”  
“They won´t. To prove my conviction about this, I´ll go personally. Either way I´m the only logically choice.  
I won´t treat them like a treat and even if I would be wrong you would lose only someone who stood just a few weeks in your services.”

The lord put a paw at his chin and thought about it…  
“I´m tempted to believe you. But just for the sake of the discussion: What do you think to offer, if they didn´t kill you on the spot?”  
“With your approval I intend to offer this:  
In exchange for your army staying away from their basin within the mountain-range, the forts will be removed, except the central one, which will be in charge for the generally protection of the area and act as an embattled trade-post.  
Further the right to travel these lands as long as they follow the laws like every other.  
Since they were never very expand-orientated, I´m sure it wouldn´t be of any interest to offer lands. I´m convinced to live in peace will be their main-interest.”  
“And what if they demand something else?”  
“As long as it is within reason I would ask for permission to offer more and discuss the final version with you. If you approve I will return to them and put it into effect.”  
“You have put much thought into this…”  
“Of course. All I need is your approval of this and a certificate of my diplomatic mission.”  
“I´ll think about it. Tomorrow evening I´ll tell you my decision.”  
“Thank you my lord.”  
With a bow and their paws to their chests they collected the documents they offered every time they made a point.  
“The map shall stay.”  
“As you wish.”

The next day was still rather busy with the training of the soldiers, but she couldn´t deny that the decision of the lord was still not predictable...  
Would he let himself be led by the stereotype or will he value her arguments?

So it wasn´t surprising she was a bit tense, when he send for her.  
“So… You would put your life into their paws to negotiate with them?”  
“Without hesitation.”  
“In that case: You are allowed to go.”  
He presented a document.  
“This will put you in position of a negotiator in my name. You may start your journey as soon as you are ready.”  
“Thank you my lord. You won´t regret it.”  
“I hope so.”

The protocol have rather strict rules regarding diplomatic delegations, so she had to do something she usually despite:  
She had to sacrifice a part of the time for training of the guards and prolong their shifts, so she could remove some for the honor-formation of this diplomatic delegation.  
Two in front, two in the back, two with flags at her sides and with some distance on each side one more.

Gladly the travel wasn´t disrupted and they reached their first goal within the afternoon.  
“Lady Doras, this outpost wasn´t there on our last patrol…”  
“Correct.”

The guards on the wall spotted them and when they entered, it was with full protocol-confirm honors.  
A wolf with the insignia of a lieutenant put his paw to his chest and bowed before her.  
The panthress returned the greeting and he pointed to his side.  
“Lady Doras, everything is prepared as ordered. The honor-guard is ready to take over its duties.”  
“Good.”  
She turned to the two who carried the banner.  
“Flag-bearer. Prepare to transfer the banner.”  
With that two seasoned wolves marched step in step in front of the two wearing the flags.  
“Transfer the banner!”  
After they were handed over she spoke up again.  
“Transfer complete.”  
She turned to the 8 mammals who escorted her.  
“You are freed from your duties as honor-guard. Rest today and return tomorrow to your posts.”

One of the wolves she had accompanied already on her last patrol took a step forward.  
“… Lady Doras… May we ask, what happened?”  
“As the guards are already spread very thin, I asked the captain to establish this outpost as secured point of rest and, in hopes of the lord allowing this mission, place to station some of his troops to take over the post of the honor-guard. So you can return as soon as possible and your comrades didn´t need to carry the added responsibilities for long.”  
“Understood. Thank you.”

The rest of the day was eventless and the next morning the mammals which escorted Fel began their trip back to the capital.  
The honor-guard was on a proper level as she was now escorted by 5 mammals in every direction with the two flag-bearer at her sides.


	5. Diplomacy – give and take

# Diplomacy – give and take

The march was rather eventless until they reached a crossing where a young female with a newborn was supporting an older, coughing male.  
She was staring with wide eyes at the formation of soldiers.  
With a lifted paw Fel brought her guard to a stop, before she walked over to them.  
“Can we help you?”  
“I… I need to reach the forts… My Father is very sick.”  
“Are you ok with us escorting you to the fort? It´s our goal as well.”  
“That would be very generous of you.”  
With a nod she turned around and pointed at two soldiers.  
“You two will support him on our way to the fort.”  
They did as ordered and they continued with their travel.

When the fort was already in sight, she dared to speak up since they met just an hour ago.  
“I´m very thankful for your help, but…”  
“But?”  
“I haven´t seen… many soldiers on the roads since many years… May I ask, how it comes you are with so many?”  
“You may. I´m on an important diplomatic mission to the east and the protocol dictate this presence as show of respect.”  
“Will the lands be safe again?”  
“When I succeed, yes.”  
“It would be wonderful to not be afraid of raiders or demons on the roads.”  
“That´s my motivation.”  
“You helped us so much and if you succeed… May I know your name?  
I would like to add you into my prayers.”  
“My name is Fel Doras.”  
“The gods may bless you!”

After their entry, they were led to the healer while Fel was let to the captain.  
She entered the office of the seasoned bear and as expected two of his soldiers were present too.  
After their greeting including her paw on her chest during the bow towards all three mammals, the captain spoke.

“Everything is prepared and these two have volunteered to accompany you.”  
With a nod she turned to the fox and the tiger.  
“You were instructed about your duties?”  
“Yes.”  
“You were instructed about the worst possible outcome?”  
“Yes.”  
“Are you ready to risk your life for this?”  
“Absolutely.”  
“Good.”  
The panthress turned to the bear again.  
“I would like to start immediately.”  
“Of course. The honor-guard will be ready when you return.”

When they left the fort in the direction of the woods Fel was accompanied just by the two volunteers who wore two medium-sized white banner openly displaying their diplomatic mission within enemy territory.

It didn´t take long after the entry of the woods, the fox spoke up.  
“My lady… I´ve got the feeling we are observed.”  
“We are. Six scouts watched us from the moment we set a paw into their woods.”  
“But what if they…?”  
“If they would have planned to kill us, they had the opportunity already around two dozen times.”  
Even if she didn´t turn around as she answered him, it wasn´t hard to imagine the shocked expressions of her escort.  
Fel led them deeper into the forest without even the slightest sign of tension.

“What do you want?”  
They stopped and after a few seconds a massive form with horns blocked their path.  
“I´m Fel Doras.  
Last leader of the Ki-Ira-Jiit-Tribe.  
Negotiator of the lord of the lands surrounding your basin.  
I request a dialogue with the leader of your tribe regarding the end of hostilities.”  
He lifted an eyebrow.  
“That can´t be. They were annihilated long ago.”  
“Almost. There was one survivor.”  
He didn´t seem to believe it, but with a gesture of his paw five demons appeared around them.  
“Follow me. We´ll see what will that bring. But we can´t allow you to know the exact location of our village.”  
“You would be stupid if you did.”  
The next moment bags were pulled over their heads.

For the next hour they were led through the forest in circles, turnarounds and sharp curves to confuse them.  
And when they reached their destination, the bags were removed and they stood within a small cave and one of the demons, a seemingly very old one, if they had to guess because of the long, white beard and the wrinkles, sat in front of a fire before them. Her escort was led deeper into the cave while the panthress was ordered to take a seat opposite of the demon.

“So… You are the one claiming to be the leader of the Ki-Ira-Jiit-Tribe?”  
“Indeed.”  
“Do you have any prove of your words?”  
She looked at the decorations on his horns before she looked into his eyes again.  
“You must be Bella-Ram, leader of this tribe since around 850 years.”  
“What let you think that?”  
“My tribe is very proud of the accurate documentation of all kind of information.  
Your kind traditionally carve the biggest achievements into their horns. And your horns tell of the negotiations with the Lady Cath Eleen around 600 years ago. One of the first peacefully ends of hostilities between demons and mortals.”  
“I´m impressed. But how comes you are the leader of a tribe most think is annihilated?”  
“Because I´m the last one of my tribe.”  
“Tell me your story. When I believe you, we can begin with the negotiations.”  
“It could take a while.”  
“We have time.”  
“As you wish…”

“Would you have expected this?”  
The tiger and fox were sharing a room and had gotten their food.  
“What do you mean?”  
Since two days they were now their ‘guests’, but the demons treated them well. Food and drink was good and when they ask the guards would even bring those dices and cards.  
“I mean this...”  
The tiger waved with his paw over his head.  
“… we are prisoners, but not like criminals…”  
“I would have expected to be killed or sit beside the lady Doras at some kind of table… And if the Captain wouldn´t have strictly forbidden us to even think about escaping, we would have been out already.”

Four days into their unintended house-arrest the panthress entered their domicile and told them that the negotiations take longer than expected and they would have to be patient.

On day six they began to question if it was really a wise decision to volunteer for this…

In secret they wished to die after ten days of boredom, but when the guard opened the door and took a step to the side they were confused.  
“Follow me.”  
It was different.  
And everything that was different was good.  
So they followed him to the entrance of the cave, where the panthress and the leader of the tribe were still sitting around the fire.

“The negotiations were successful. Now the contract only have to be confirmed by our lord.”  
Both felt the big ‘but’.  
“But until it is approved, you will have to stay here.”  
On the inside they were breaking down, but they were still soldiers and so their answer was:  
“Understood.”  
“Good.”  
With that she pointed behind her at two male and one female demon.  
“They will come with me to our lord and bring back his answer. When they return you will be released.”  
She bowed with her paw on her chest to them and they returned it. After that they were led back the way they came and Fel turned around.  
“Shall we begin our travel?”

It didn´t take them long to lead her, again with a bag over her head, to the edge of the forest near the central fort.  
When the guards spotted them they could hear the turmoil inside and after passing the doors every soldier stood lined up in order to honor them.  
In the center of the formation stood the captain awaiting the panthress and her company.  
After the respectful greeting she pointed to the three demons at her side.  
“Those are the delegation of the tribe.  
They are under protection of the diplomatic protocol.  
Instruct the honor-guard about this and the seriousness of their duty to protect them too, if the need would arise. And send word to the lord to expect our arrival.”  
“I´ll take care of it personally.”  
Shortly after that they began their travel to the capitol… To the lord, to sign the peace-contract…

The moment they passed the city-gates a disturbing silence fell over them.  
She wasn´t surprised.  
After years of announcing demons are evil and kill on sight, fear to be spread among the citizens when some of them enter the city was mandatory…  
That was the reason she let the guards instruct explicitly for this situation.

Gladly the march through the city was eventless and within the castle-grounds Fel allowed herself to take a deep breath.  
The honor-guard escorted them to the lord, who sat at a round table with two big braziers at its sides, and got in position in a circle around the room.  
“My lord.  
The negotiations were successful.  
I have a delegation of the tribe with me to settle the last details and to return with the signed peace-contract as soon as you approve of it.  
It´s led by Gil-Ram, daughter of Bella-Ram.”

The tiger pointed to the opposite side of the table.  
“Welcome to my home. You may take a seat.”  
The female demon just nodded and took a seat opposite of the lord.  
Fel got beside the tiger, put down one scroll and opened another.  
“The negotiations resulted in a number of important topics.  
The end of hostilities is acceptable under certain circumstances:  
To break down the forts at the valley to the basin with the forest and the village of the tribe.  
The central fort is allowed to stay and act as trading-post and outpost for general protection of the surrounding areas.  
Since the beginning of the conflict is reasoned in the opinion the woods belong to these lands, while it´s the land of the tribe since hundreds of years, it have to be officially assigned to the tribe, so no one could question the ownership.  
Do you have any objections so far?”  
“Those points are reasonable and fully acceptable.”

“Since the aggressions in this conflict came from the side of the mortals they demand the command of the earlier mentioned central-fort to be transferred to one of the seasoned warriors of the tribe.”

The tiger frowned at this.  
“What do you intend to accomplish with this?”  
“The intention is simple: To show the people that not all demons are evil.  
A seasoned warrior knows how to fight bandits or savage demons. He will protect them and they see the good in them. With less mistrust the tribe can begin to interact more with mortals and that can lead to multiple possibilities regarding trading and other arrangements which can provide fruitful for both parties.”  
“And this shall only affect that fort?”  
“This point is indeed only regarding that fort since it is directly in front of their home.”  
“In that case: That is acceptable.”

“One last point:  
They want one of their own within this castle as kind of monitor, so if someone plan to break this contract chances are that one could warn the tribe.”  
“So one shall be sitting in my castle and just… listening?”  
“No. Laziness is something extremely repulsive to them. And even if the post of an ambassador would work with the desired result: If there are no acute duties it´s just waiting until their services are needed.”  
“I assume you have a specific post in mind.”  
“Indeed. One of them will be at my side during the training of the troops, patrols, inspections and all my other duties. I will train them to be able to be a competent commander.  
When my time to prove is over and you should promote me into the rank of the commander, that one will be my adjutant.”  
“To be a competent commander?! Why should you teach them that?!”  
“The past showed very clearly: Their organization is superior the armies of these lands.  
So you don´t have to fear that they would use this, if the peace will be broken.  
It´s simply a skill they wanted to know.  
I would be personally responsible for every mistake like it was my decision.  
And if the result would be a trusted adjutant of the commander it would, like the last point, be a step into a peaceful coexistence.”

The panthress waited patiently while the tiger had to think about it…  
“Is there anything else I should know?”  
“That is the last point. When you approve of it the contract just have to be signed and it can come into effect immediately.”  
“What happens if your adjutant made a fatal mistake which forces me to discharge you?”  
“When it´s a valid reason the contract wouldn´t be affected. If not, it´s seen as violation of the contract.  
In that case the general diplomatic protocol enforces a meeting to clarify the incident.”

He closed his eyes, took serval deep breaths and when he opened them again, he nodded.  
“I´ll accept the conditions of this peace-contract.”  
He signed the scrolls and put his seal below them.  
After that Fel brought the scrolls to the delegation and they did the same.

Gil-Ram stood up, gave her scroll to one of her companions and turned to the lord again.  
“May this be the beginning of a peaceful coexistence.”  
“Do you already know who will be the trainee of the Lady Doras?”  
“Yes. I will be the one.”  
The tiger just lifted his eyebrows.  
“On their way back, they will let the captain know about the forts.”  
“That´s acceptable.”  
“Good. Now they should rest and return tomorrow.”  
“You will get the quarters for guests of honor for the night.”  
“Thank you.”

The panthress stood straight and put her paw to her chest.  
“Honor-guard! Escort them to their quarters. You will be responsible for their protection during the night. March off!”

After the demons and the guard left the room, she turned around, put her paw to her chest and bowed.  
“If you allow, I will take care of the resting-arrangements for the honor-guard...”  
“Dismissed.”

The following night was long but gladly without incident, so the guard could rest in a fix rotation.  
The next morning an official made an announcement on the marketplace about the peace-contract and the rising protection for the lands since most of the soldiers weren´t needed at the forts anymore.  
To prove it the honor-guard was instructed to use exactly that moment to escort the two male demons over the place for everyone to see.

“Remember: You have chosen this…  
You wanted to be trained and educated by me…  
First step: You have to demonstrate your skills.”  
Both females stood in the middle of the circle in the center of the training-grounds.  
“With pleasure.”  
The demon and the panthress began a fight full of raw power, speed and elegance the soldiers never saw before. And most of their audience was happy that both were on their side.


	6. The past – You can run, but not hide

# The past – You can run, but not hide

“The purpose of an inspection of the forces isn´t to show how they had improved. It´s simply to survey their condition, equipment and discipline.  
But it´s not only about the soldiers… it´s about you too.  
You have to detect and eliminate shortcomings, even if it meant you have to confess mistakes caused by yourself.  
That´s something many leaders have problems with.”  
“That didn´t make sense.”  
“Sadly it´s because most mortals wish to be famous for their achievements.  
Especially if they almost reached their goal, some just ignore everything else and cause through this unnecessary causalities.”  
“And when would they be necessary?”  
“In some forces everything rely on one individual. Mostly the lord or the commander… A hart strike against that single target can cause the whole army to collapse.”  
“Sacrifice one time many and end the war to prevent steadily just a few causalities every battle over a long time-span.”  
“Exactly. But before you even consider such a sacrifice you have to make sure the chances are as good as possible. While a plan rarely survive the first contact with the enemy, the bigger strategy have to be solid. On the other paw you have to make sure your forces are not only relying on you and maybe one more…  
Your captains and even the lieutenants can turn a battle around, if they were instructed well.”

Like often in the past months the panthress was educating the demon during training-battles.  
But this wasn´t exclusive to her adjutant. The soldiers around were invited to listen… to learn too.  
And their audience grew steadily.

Sometimes they would test the skills of volunteers in a fight and it was amusing how the males partly argued which of the two females is more dangerous: The panthress or the demon. 

But regardless the progress of every single soldier, she never forgot, even for a single second, why she was there.  
The scouts were on highest alert and almost nonstop on their travels to the most distant places searching for unusual occurrences. Since the peace-contract with the tribe the patrols were in adequate strength on their way and no more patrols vanished.

There were indeed some strange events in the northern parts like vanishing people, but since no traces could be found, it could just be random savage demons or bandits as well…  
If the numbers rise above a certain level she will send out a unit to investigate that and to support the stationed forces in regards of protection for the residents.

But the next important event was a troop-inspection to survey the condition of the forces after then had some time to get used to their new duties which didn´t consist of only staying on guard in a single place.  
There were still some rotations for the staying guards to work out and when the lord approved them it could be held within the next month…

Fel thought about letting Gil doing the calculating as kind of test. She was extremely intelligent and mastered most tasks within her first few tries.

A guard on duty came to them and draw attention to himself.  
“Yes?”  
He bowed to her and pointed over his shoulder.  
“A visitor asked for an audience with you.”  
“Bring him into my office. We´ll be there soon.”

After they cleaned up she opened the door to her office.  
“Thank you. You can go.”  
With a bow the guard left the room and when she closed it behind him, Fel turned to their visitor…  
And Gil saw something she didn´t expect from the panthress: She was frozen.  
The tiger who stood beside her table too, but to add to that he seemed pale.

“… How… is that possible?”  
The demon looked between the two and couldn´t really decipher, what was happening just now.  
After around two minutes the panthress spoke up.  
“May I introduce you?  
That is Commander Aaron Stry from the land on the east-coast… My former adjutant.”  
“Aaron, this is Gil-Ram, daughter of Bella-Ram. My actual adjutant.”  
He bowed to the demon without his eyes leaving the panthress.  
“You are the same… But at the same time you are not…”  
“Gil. This may take a while. Please prepare the plans for the inspection.”  
With a bow the demon left the office and when the door closed, the two remaining felines looked at each other.

This kind of situations made her extremely uncomfortable, but she couldn´t do anything against it.  
“It´s complicated.”  
Fel looked at him trying to find her words.  
“How have you been?”  
“Good. But… I still don´t understand… You are much younger than the last time…”  
She hesitated…  
“I vow on my honor: Whatever it is, I´ll never talk to anyone about it. But I need to know!”

The panthress walked to the window and looked over the lands.  
“As you wish. But before I begin: Did you heed my advice?” ????  
“I have.”  
“And?”  
“It hit me just a few days after you left… Coincidentally she´s… a panthress too.”  
Fel turned around and lifted an eyebrow.  
“She accepted my request to court her and it goes well… I´m confident she´s the one.”  
“Good.”  
“Now you.”  
“Did you ever heard of the Ki-Ira-Jiit-Tribe?”  
“I don´t think so.”  
“A tribe of proud and mighty warriors. They acquired over generations all kind of information regarding demons to be able to fight better.  
With the knowledge came understanding.  
With understanding they realized a very simple but very important fact:  
Demons are not evil through birth… Good demons exist, just like with mortals.  
In the following generations they refined their skills in the area of diplomacy.  
In the end they were valued leader, negotiators, fighter and teacher…  
One day in the late spring, one panthress had her last task as a kit.  
She had to provide the food for a feat to her honors.  
The whole tribe showed so much trust in her successful future she wanted to surpass the expectations and left the village much earlier than everyone else…”

Just the fact he was able to note how she stiffened showed him the importance of this memory.  
“When she returned… They were dead. Murdered. A giant army of demons had stormed the village. Countless demons piled high around the dead bodies of every single one of her tribe.  
On that day she vowed to not settle down before the one responsible for that would be defeated.  
Her hunt began.  
It took her serval years to uncover an important fact: Responsible for the death of her tribe wasn´t one, but two demons… Brothers.  
One was able to spawn steadily minions and the other was a powerful fighter.  
Alone they couldn´t have defeated her tribe, but together…  
Their strategy was simple: One bound them where they were in a surprise-attack while the other killed one by one. Their enemies weren´t able to help each other...

Over serval years she observed them and supported the forces they attacked. Five big battles could be won, but they could escape every time.  
After over 30 years a one-in-a-lifetime-opportunity forced her paw.  
An argument between them let them part ways.  
Within a day every single soldier was mobilized and they charged the one with the ability to spawn minions.  
The battle went to her favor, but unexpectedly the brother came back!

The only hope to defeat them once and for all was to hold them separate.  
She let the forces under the control of the commanders to intercept the fighter.  
In the end, because the forces were not trained to fight in coordinated of that scale, the spawning brother could escape.”

“I understand that this is the reason you are on your crusade. But why are you so young again?”  
Fel looked on the metallic paw on her right limb.  
“The fighter attacked the soldiers of their right flank, which stood between him and his brother. He slaughtered them without effort but she could reach them, before he passed.  
The following fight was brutally far beyond your imagination…  
She was blinded by her sheer hate towards him and without thinking she attacked and attacked without really realizing how she got weaker every time a wound closed on his body.  
Almost all her remaining strength got into an attack that should have ended his existence.  
She cut off a third of his head with that slash…  
On all fours she had to watch how the fatal wound closed before her eyes, but strangely she didn´t lost her remaining strength as fast as before. And within the regrown head was a certain change: His eye didn´t grow back.  
It was a sickening realization when she understood, why he was such a powerful fighter.  
‘Recessus corporalis’ it was called. The power bound into a single body-part, or better two in this case.  
Those eyes, bound to his body were able to extract energy from his opponent to heal his host!  
Wouldn´t her senses been blinded by hate she could have realized it earlier but now she understood she had to destroy his other eye too.  
In her weakened state it was just a question of time before she would be defeated.  
She attacked on full risk and even as she was successful with her attack, she suffered a mortal wound which cost her the left eye.”

The tiger stared on the eyepatch with wide eyes imagining the scene.  
“He didn´t have his eyes anymore, but as a demon he could still recover from the wounds. And she was barely able to move anymore. She was doomed.

But something strange happened:  
The pull started again.  
She was confused. The eyes were destroyed, but they took away her energy again…  
Call it fate, karma, luck… Whatever.  
Her battered body landed beside the part of his head she had slashed apart.  
She could see the green gleam of the eye which was still bound to the flesh.  
A certain detail regarding ‘Recessus corporalis’ is that it still works, even if it is separated from its host.  
But it can change the host too.  
For that it have to be placed in the correct place.  
Without any options left she grabbed it and had to scream.”

Slowly the panthress lifted her metallic prosthesis.  
“At the wrong place such objects will destroy everything not belonging to their host.  
The torment was beyond everything she had to endure before as the eye dissolved first her right paw and after that began with her arm.  
But she didn´t had a choice.”

Her paw pulled off her eyepatch.  
“She pressed the stump into her left eye-socket and after some agonizing moments it accepted his new host.”

She opened the torn eyelid and he stared into a green glow which emitted some kind of green mist.  
“It pulled the energy completely out of the weak demon, killed it and healed the most mortal wounds.  
When some soldiers reached her, she put a bandage around her head, because nobody was allowed to know of it. At that time it was still most believed that everything even the slightest part of being demonic means someone is evil to the core and have to be destroyed.”

“But that´s not the case… Yes, most are suspicious when some demon appears, but nowadays demons can prove to be not evil…”  
“You said it: Nowadays…  
This was around 400 years ago.”  
“WHAT?!”  
“The extracted energy can´t only heal wounds.  
You can use it to be longer powerful… You need less food or sleep.  
It provides the ability to see energy even through obstacles.  
Even with this…”  
She hold up her eyepatch.  
“… It´s possible to see. Thin walls are easy too.  
But one of the most… practical possibilities to use this energy…”  
Now she stared him into the eyes.  
“Is to regenerate my body.  
Every two to three decades I need to regenerate. If not I would look too old to be believable for my offered services.  
I used that after I left the lands on my way to here.”

Shocked was an understatement for the expression of the tiger.  
“I… I can´t even imagine… You…”  
“I will hold you to your word regarding this topic.”  
That was what he needed to focus and after a deep breath to collect himself he looked at her again.  
“You didn´t do anything that would justify to back on my word…”

The following silence was urgently needed to order the thoughts… for both…  
“Good. But I guess that wasn´t the only reason you came here.”  
“To be honest: It was the main-reason.”  
She lifted her eyebrow.  
“One evening in a tavern, one of the travelers told a story how his wife tried to bring her sick father to a fort for help. She told him about a giant honor-guard escorting a panthress with a metallic prosthesis below her right elbow and an eyepatch over her left eye with three claw-scars and a torn ear who brought them to said fort. I couldn´t believe to hear about someone, who could only be you, so quick again…  
Since that evening I thought of a reason to check, if it is really you.  
I just had to.  
Now I had the chance as I volunteered to take the responsibility to discuss the first steps of a possible alliance in regard to your hunted demon with the new and extraordinary commander. You know: Coordinate the scouts how the order will be if one of us found him…”

An unsure smile crept onto his maw.  
“But I would guess that won´t be a big problem. Right?”  
“Indeed…”

Even if his head had processed what was reviled to him, his guts had still problems.  
And for such purposes she had some wine in her office.  
Usually she gave it to guests to calm down, but never engaged in this… But now…  
For the first time in centuries she drank with company.  
By far not enough to get drunk and do or say things she would regret, but enough to relax like rarely before.

After a while the tiger began to chuckle.  
“What´s so funny?”  
“I bet the lord hadn´t expected his order to let you lead his forces one more time to last that long. When you are immortal…”  
“That won´t be a problem for two reasons.  
First: I´m not immortal. This…”  
With that she pointed at her covered eye.  
“… can suck out energy from living beings, be it mortal or demon, and… store it away. When I have a wound I can heal it for a certain amount of energy. But when I used all the energy and can´t restore it, I´m done. And to lower my age I need much energy.”  
“And how do you ‘restore’ it?”  
“I have to steal if from another living being.”  
“What?!”  
“Usual I do it during patrols. Savage demons or bandits who deserve to die for their crimes. Those who would be killed on the spot regardless.”  
“Ok… And the second reason?”  
“As said: The demon I hunt is able to spawn minions. They are dumb, slow and weak. But in high numbers they are a serious danger for everyone.  
He create steadily his minions, but he´s not restricted to the number of them. That means those minions must be decimated regularly as long as it is still possible to overpower them.  
With every passing year his army get stronger and stronger… And his last defeat was around 11 years ago, before he escaped over the sea to this continent, because I structured the forces there to be able to defeat him in too many countries.  
He´s like an archer: As long as he can use his arrows to hold his enemies away from him it´s good. But when his quiver is empty he´s doomed. And when he have enough arrows to defeat every attacker all is lost.”  
“You expect him to attack soon?”  
“No, but the longer it takes to find him and destroy his minions, the more causalities we have to expect... Only his demise can put an end to his treat once and for all.”  
“Do you have any hint about his whereabouts?”  
“Just some strange events involving vanishing people to the north. I´ve already send a unit to investigate the backgrounds. It could simply be savage demons or bandits. But nothing define yet.”

The tiger looked into the cup with the wine and was deep in thought for a while.  
“I understood… I´ll hold the forces on standby and send some scouts more to the north.”  
“It couldn´t hurt. But I think we should get your work done.”  
With that she got some sheets and began the designing of the alliance-contract…

When the tiger began his journey home, Fel felt a kind of nostalgia. But that was nothing new. She felt it every time she left her life behind.  
A part of her hoped they would meet again on the battlefield, but another part hoped he wouldn´t be able to join and send his adjutant or a general to lead his forces.

But only time could tell how fate will decide…


End file.
